Baseball Trade Review: Carlos Beltran Deal

The Carlos Beltran sweepstakes are over and the Houston Astros are the winners. After spending the offseason recruiting Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, the Astros have found themselves mired back in the pack of a tough NL Central division race.

Beltran brings a flashy glove to center field and some excitement and run production to the top of the lineup. Of course, players like him don’t come without a cost. Houston sent away closer Octavio Dotel and catcher-of-the-future John Buck.

The added wild-card is that Beltran’s contract expires at the end of this season. Should the Astros fail to reach the playoffs and also lose their new star center fielder to free agency, this deal could haunt them in the future.

Kansas City, Beltran’s former team, sent Dotel on to Oakland in exchange for two prospects, third baseman Mark Teahan and pitcher Mike Wood. The Royals had decided they wouldn’t be able to match Beltran’s asking price this offseason and picked up the best value they thought they could get. Oftentimes these deals turn out very favorable for the team willing to trade current talent for high-potential minor leaguers.

The Oakland Athletics jumped in to make this a 3-way deal and filled a big need by picking up a consistent closer. Arthur Rhodes had excelled with other teams in a setup role but hasn’t fared well closing out games for the A’s. Nothing is more frustrating to a starter than to pitch hard through seven or eight innings in a close game only to see a win slip away in the ninth. Oakland boasts one of the best rotations in baseball and a solidified bullpen should help them overtake Texas and maybe even make a run in the playoffs.

This trade will be seen as a success or failure for both Houston and Oakland by the end of the 2004 season. For Kansas City, however, it could be a few years before anyone knows how their 3 new players will pan out. All three teams did well in accomplishing something that made sense for their situation.

Dustin Smiley, Owner of The Baseball Corner http://www.thebaseballcorner.com, your online site for everything baseball. (**You may reprint this column onto your site only if the following information is attached at the bottom and the link to The Baseball Corner is active**)

admin@thebaseballcorner.com

 Dustin Smiley

More Articles 

A Brief History Of Baseball - Regan Shaors
A Short Baseball History The game of baseball is said to have begun in the early 19th century, but that's just half the truth. The game was played much before but the first baseball clubs were formed around that time. An Englishman named...

The Benefits of Portable Batting Cages - Jason Gluckman
Many advanced baseball and softball teams use portable batting cages to ensure adequate training while on the road. Just like standard batting cages, portable models act as a virtual catcher, helping to control the movement of baseballs and...

Defense Wins in Baseball- Not Business - Bart Latimer
Defense Wins in Baseball- Not Business By: Bart Latimer First, I want to go on record as believing defense does, in fact, play a significant role in business. The protection of both tangible and intangible assets through legal maneuvers,...

Important Aspects Of A Baseball Coach - Sintilia Miecevole
Being a baseball coach can be very rewarding. It is a big responsibility, though. You are basically the 'leader' of your team, and how you act will directly affect how the assistant coaches and the players act. There are some tips you can...

Baseball's Dead Ball Era: 1900 to 1919 - FR Penn
The early part of the Twentieth Century saw the rise of an age that has come to be known as the Dead Ball Era of baseball. The Dead Ball Era reportably spanned the Progressive Reform Age leading up to the Roaring Twenties, which ran from ...

My Baseball Story - Aron Wallad
My Baseball Story I love this game. It has been half century since I started to fall in love with baseball. The romance is still going strong. Playing, coaching, watching, listening, and reading about baseball has been part of my every day life...

Baseball on Your Mobile Phone! - Joi Sigers
If you're like us, you can't possibly get enough baseball - the great American game. Especially if you happen to have a team you're particularly passionate about, be it the Cardinals, Cubs, Reds, Yankees, the team from Boston (*sore St. Louis fan...

Baseballs Cloud Of Controversy - Jay Conners
Although Baseball has never been a stranger to controversy. From the 1919 Chicago Black Sox, to Pete Rose betting on baseball, to Sammy Sosa’s corked bat. And now the on going soap opera of Barry Bonds suspected steroid use, it is in no way hurting...

Baseball History May Be Ever Changing But Some Things Never Change - Paul Mroczka
Baseball history, like all history, certainly is ever changing, but some aspects of the game have remained unchanged for well over a half-century. There are a few reasons for this - over time the basic rules of the game have for the most part...

Tips For Improving Your Baseball Game - Robert Michael
Because baseball is game of skill, the top athlete isn’t always the better baseball player, especially if he or she doesn’t possess the multitude of skills that can help them become a complete player. Baseball is a game of throwing, fielding,...

How to Break in a Baseball Glove - Jason Gluckman
Baseball gloves are available in almost every size, color and material known to man. Traditional gloves are made from leather or faux-leather and more recently from buffalo and kangaroo hides. No matter what the material, baseball gloves need to be...

A Guide to College Baseball Bats - Jason Gluckman
In the mid 1850s, when baseball was in its infancy, players made their own bats. They experimented with flat bats, round bats, and heavy bats. They ultimately discovered that the barrel shaped bat was the most effective. Today, college baseball bats...